Maehem Underground Media is a team of people coming together to bring the local and underground music scene to you! We primarily work for the Metal, Rock, and Punk scene as well as the sub-genres in between. Our mission is to create a professional outlet for everyone out there giving it all they got! Album reviews, interviews, photos, special features and more!

Extended Play: LOCUST GROVE-‘Monster EP’

Hello Music Maenics! Mitchel Fulcer here with the latest edition of Extended Play where we feature the latest in EP releases! We’re going to shift gears down to Oklahoma City, OK. Oklahoma City is the stomping grounds of the incredible hard rock/metal band- Locust Grove! These guys blew me away when I saw them come to life on stage. So, with that, here is a look at their five-song EP – ‘Monster EP.’

We start off with “Menace Of Society” The song kicks the door in with a strong rhythmic pulse, which is quickly followed by strong vocals that hook you. The lyrical content is powerful, passionate, and relatable; giving off a vibe that any headbanger can get behind. Throughout the chorus, it brings things down a bit, but never loses its attitude; the way you get drawn in by bands such as Black Label Society or Down. The modern guitar tone mixes amazingly with the classic hard rock vibes both on and off the stage. The deep, groovy solo is a breath of fresh air for myself, who had grown up on classic rock like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Johnson.

“Truth” is next. Right from the start of this tune, it is very driven by the drums which build you up to the neck-wrecking verse riffs and ear-hooking progressions with a sly vocal pattern. The second song shows me that Locust Grove has a firm grasp of structure and musicality. Each musician seems to have their own identity attached to their solos and general styles. The drummer and bassists foundations are rock solid through every transition to get that pulse all the way to the back of your head!

“Destroy Me” has a straightforward rock style that allows the vocals to shine. Getting down and dirty with a vocal intensity that almost forces you to sing along with that unison bending that we all crave. The dual solo cranks the tune into high tone-shredding that gets all of you guitarists there. “Life Of Mine” is a song that makes you want to start a pit. The drum fills pop out in this song just right; not too simple, not too much. I dig the way it slides from riff to riff and keeps a strong flow. They pull various emotions out of one song. The raw solo made the end of this song truly come alive!

The final track is the title track of this EP – “Monster.” This tune is my personal favorite, although every track could be a hit single on its own. Everything about this song kicks ass. Pulling back the rhythms on the verse is a well-known trick that is hard to do well; these guys make it sound easy! They sound bigger and fuller with every change and progression of their songs. Locust Grove covers a broad demographic which is vital whether you are local, underground, or all the way at the top. They hit the nail on the head in this song with a grade A chorus and a chant that gets the whole crowd going.

From beginning to end – ‘Monster EP’ has me banging my head and attempting to learn the lyrics as quickly as I can so that I can sing along as loud as I can. Nothing like a jammin’ rock/metal album to bring back that youthful energy! There’s a spark in this EP that is hard to put the finger on, but when you give it a listen, you will feel it too! I hope you dig Locust Grove as much as I do!